Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Interpersonal Relationship Stages, Theories and Communication - Coggle…
Interpersonal Relationship Stages, Theories and Communication
Relationship Stages
At the deterioration stage, the bonds holding you
together begin to weaken. Intrapersonal dissatisfaction later becomes interpersonal, when you discuss it with your partner and perhaps others.
At the repair stage, you first engage in intrapersonal repair, analyzing what went wrong and perhaps what you can do to set things right; later you may engage in interpersonal repair, in which you and your partner consider ways to mend
your deteriorating relationship.
At the intimacy stage, you may make an interpersonal commitment and later enter the stage of social bonding, in which you publicly reveal your relationship status.
At the dissolution stage, you separate yourself from
your partner and later perhaps separate socially and publicly.
At the involvement stage, you test your potential
partner and, if this proves satisfactory, move on to intensifying your relationship.
-
At the contact stage of a relationship, you make perceptual contact and later interact with the person.
-
Relationship Theories
Attraction theory holds that you develop relationships with those who are similar to you, who are physically close to you, who offer you reinforcement, whom you consider attractive physically and in personality, and who are of a desired socioeconomic and educational level.
Social penetration theory focuses on the changes
in breadth and depth of conversational topics that take place as partners move from one relationship
stage to another.
Social exchange theory claims that we enter and
maintain relationships in which the rewards are greater than the costs. When the costs become greater
than the rewards, the relationship deteriorates.
Relationship dialectics theory holds that relationships
involve tensions between opposing needs and desires, for example, the opposing needs of connection with
another person on the one hand, and autonomy and independence on the other.
Equity theory holds that you develop and maintain
relationships in which your ratio of rewards compared to costs is approximately equal to your partner’s.
Relationship rules theory holds that people maintain
relationships with those who follow the rules that the individuals have defined as essential to their
relationship and dissolve relationships with those who don’t follow the rules.
Politeness theory holds that you develop and
maintain relationships with those who support your positive and negative face needs.
This chapter introduced interpersonal relationships and focused on the stages you go through in developing and perhaps dissolving relationships, the various theories of how and why interpersonal relationships develop and dissolve, and the nature of communication at the various relationship stages.